CHILTON AIMING TO CLOSE DOWN LEADERS AT CROFT
Tom Chilton says he needs three stellar results at the Croft
circuit on Sunday 3 June if he’s to keep title rivals
Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi in his sights in the vital
middle stages of this year’s Dunlop British Touring
Car Championship season.
Chilton will arrive at the North Yorkshire circuit having
enjoyed his best start to a BTCC season – he currently
lies third in the standings, but is 30 points behind Vauxhall
team-mate Giovanardi who in turn trails Plato by another nine.
Both drivers have won four times so far while Chilton is
still seeking his first victory of 2007. He is also wary that
reigning champion Matt Neal is only two points behind him
and knows that strong results in all three rounds at Croft
are of great importance to his title aspirations.
The 22-year-old from Reigate, Surrey, said: “I really
need to pull something out of the bag at Croft. I don’t
want Jason and Fabrizio getting much further away as we get
into what is a critical stage of the season.
“I was a bit confused leaving Thruxton last time out
because my car had been as good as Fabrizio’s over the
first few laps but then just seemed to lose a bit of performance.
“But I’ve got a new chassis coming for Croft.
If it gives me that last little drop of performance then I’ll
be on fire.”
Chilton says that Croft’s BTCC meeting is one of the
best on the calendar in terms of atmosphere among the watching
fans. Indeed, with Britain’s premier motor racing series
making just one visit each year to the North-East, the event
annually draws a bumper crowd.
Chilton added: “When you’re racing you’re
100 per cent focused on the track and the cars around you,
but at Croft you realise just how many people are watching
when you’re on the way to the grid or on the slowing
down lap.
“The banking around the first few corners is absolutely
packed out and you start to hear the air horns and pick out
banners. It’s always a really passionate crowd at Croft.
Every driver gets a buzz from it.
“Croft is also a great touring car circuit and the
lay-out means there’s always a lot of side-by-side action.
I think the fans will be in for some great action.
“My aim is to score as many points as possible, but
I’ve had seconds and thirds and now I want a win. I
was strong at Croft last year and had pole position until
the final seconds of qualifying. I’d love to put that
right this year and then lead all the way to the finish.”
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